Reel for moving-picture machines.



F. D. SEARS L A. 0. SODERGREN..

REEL FOR MOVING PICTURE MACHINES.

. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1|, 1913.

Patented May 4, 1915.

2 SHEETS--SHEET I F. D. SEARS @L A. 0. SODERGREN.

REEL FoII IvIovING PICTURE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- I l' |913. 1,137,912. Patented May 4, 1915.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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rrED STARS TRT FFCE.

FREDERCK D. SEARS AND AXEL O. SODERGREN, OF MINNEAPOLIS,- MINNESOTA.

REEL FOR MOVING-PICTURE MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, i915.

Application led September 11, 1913. Serial No. 789,296.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it krfown that we, FREDERICK' D. SEARS i' and AXEL O. SODERGREN, citizens of the United States,'residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and-State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reels for Moving-Picture Machines; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates -to movingv picture machines and has for its object to provide a reel from which an endless film, wound thereon, may be continuously fed through the machine. I v

Moving picture machines now in use are provided with two film holders, one on which the film is wound before it is fed through the machine and the other on which the film is wound after passing therethrough. Before the film may be used a sec ond time, the same must be rewound on thel first noted holder, so that the pictures will appear in their regular order. This rewinding of the film causes considerable delay before the pictures can be shown again.

By means of our invention, a'film may be wound onto a reel from its original holder and continuously fed from said reel through the moving picture machine, so that the pictures-may be shown any number of times without interruption. Vhen it is desired to remove the film from the reel, the same may be rewound on the original holder, so that the pictures will appear in their regular order when wound on another reel.

To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a moving picture machine having-'our invention incorporated therein, some parts being indicated by means of dotted lines and some parts being broken away; Fig. 2 is a transverse yvertical section, taken on the irregular line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, taken 0n the line ac3-m3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail view in side elevation, on an enlarged scale, some parts being broken away and some of the exposed parts being shown in section; and Fig. 5 is a transverse section, taken on the line oci-a5 of Fig. 4.

rlhe numeral 1 indicates a supporting table on which is mounted a moving picture machine 2. A lamp house 3 is slidably mounted on rails 4, attached to the table 1, for adjustments toward and from the moving picture machine 2, in order to secure the proper focus of the pictures on the screen. The lm is moved through the picture machine 2 in the customary manner by suitable feed mechanism 5 operated by a hand crank 6 through a train of gears 7 The parts thus far described may be of the standard or any desired construction.

A. metal box 8, having a hinged side door 9, is mounted directly -over the moving picture machine 2 and is supported from the table top 1 by legs 10 bolted thereto. Botatively mounted within the box 8 is a large film carrying reel 11 comprising a body and a plurality of rollers 12. The reel body is' made up of a pair of laterally spaced disks 13 rigidly connected by al plurality of circumferentially spaced tie rods 14. The rollers 12 are loosely journaled on these tie rods 14 and, as best shown in Fig. 5, each thereof is formed with a shallow peripheral annular channel 15, in the bottom of which is cut an annular groove 16, segmental in cross section. A large axial opening 17 is formed in the louter disk 13 of the reel body and to the other disk is rigidly secured an axially alined hollow trunnion 18. This trunnion 18 is passed through an opening in the back of the box 8 and is loosely journaled in a bearing 19 secured to the back of the box 8 and to an angle iron 2O secured to two of the legs 10. The reel 11 may be rotated, at will, by a laterally projecting hand piece 21 secured to the outer disk'13 and said reel may be locked against rotation by a spring held fork 22 pivotally attached to a bearing 23 secured to and depending from the top of the'box 8. The prongs of this fork 22 are arranged to embrace the hand piece 21 and thereby lock the reel 11 against rotation. Located within the box 8 and integrally formed with the hollow trunnion 18 is a grooved wheel 24. The hub of this wheel 24 and a collar 25, having screw threaded engagement with the outer end of the hollow trunnion 18, hold said trunnion against endwise movement in its'bearing 19.

A film holder 26, preferably in the form of a flanged drum, is indicated in Fig. 1 by means of dotted This film holder 26 is secured for rotation with a horizontally extended shaft 27 loosely journaled in bearing brackets 28 attached to the box 8. Rotary motion is imparted to the film holder 26 from the reel 11 by a belt 29 arranged to run over the grooved wheel 24 and a relatively small alined wheel 30, secured to the shaft 27 between the brackets 28.

-Rotary motion, with respect tothe reel body, is imparted to the rollers 12 by a flexible belt 31 mounted in the peripheral grooves 16 of said rollers. A portion of this belt `3l is looped and passed between two of the rollers 12 and over a grooved wheel 32 alined with the peripheral grooves 16 and rigidly secured to the inner end of a shaft 33 loosely journaled in the hollow trunnion 18. To the outer end of the shaft 33 is keyed a balance wheel 34 and a sprocket wheel 35. The sprocket wheel 35 is located .between the outer end of the trunnion 18 and the balance wheel 34 and, together with the hub of the grooved wheel 32, holds the shaft 33 against vendwise movement. The shaft 33 is driven from the feed mechanism of the moving picture machine 2 by a relatively long sprocket chain 36 and a relatively short crossed belt 37. The sprocket chain 36 runs over the sprocket wheel 35 and an alined sprocket wheel 38 secured to a counter shaft 39 journaled in bearings 40 depending from the top of the table 1. The crossed belt runs over alined relatively large and small grooved wheels 41 and 42 secured, respectively, to the counter shaft 39 and to a shaft 43 journaled in bearings 44 on the frame of the moving picture machine 2. Theshaft 43 forms a part of the feed mechanism of the moving picture machine and is driven by the train of gears 7.

Wound on the rollers 12 is an endless film Z having a looped section Z formed between the inner and outer convolutions of said film. The Elm' section Z passes between the same two rollers 12 between which the looped portion of the belt 31 is passed and through the am'al opening 17. The film section Z also passes through a pair of .guide roller equipped openings 45 and 46 in the bottomofv the box 8 and through a pair of guide roller equipped openings 47 and 48 in the top of the table 1. The portion of the loop section Z between the openings 45 and 47 passes through the feed mechanism of the moving picture machine 2 and that portion between the openings 47 and 48 passes through a depending metal box 49 on the topfof the table 1 having a hinged door' 50.

It is important to note that only the longitudinal perforated edges of the film Z rest on. the rollers 12 and the picture portion thereof overlies the channels 15 formed in said rollers, thus preventing the pictures from being marred or damaged. As is well known, the feed mechanism 5 engages the perforations in the longitudinal edges of the film, to'properly feed the same through the machine. It should also `be noted that the grooves 16 are of suflicient depth to hold the flexible belt 31 completely out of. engagement with the film Z.

The operation of the machine may be briefly described as follows: The film Z is originally received on the holder 26 which may be detachably mounted on the shaft 27. The outer end of the film Z is then passed between a guide roller equipped opening 51 formed in the box 8 and between the rollers 12, at the looped section of the liexible belt 31, and is then attached to the reel 11 by a spring clip 52 secured to the inner face .of the inner disk 13. This portion of the film Z is indicated in Fig. 1 by means of broken lines Z2. At this time, the looped section of the flexible belt 31 is removed from the grooved wheel 32 and held inoperative over a pair of laterally projecting studs 53 secured to the inner face of the inner disk 13. In this position of the belt 31, the rollers 12 are frictionally held by said belt against rotation with respect to the reel 11, and the driving connection, between said rollers and the feed mechanism 5, is rendered inoperative. After the -outer end of the film Z is secured to the clip 52, the fork 22 is moved out of engagement with the hand piece 21 and the reel 1l is rotated by said hand piece in the direction of the arrow marked on Fig. 4, until the entire film is wound from the holder 26 onto the rollers 12. When the film Z is wound onto the rollers 12, the inner end thereof is passed through the axial opening 17, through the opening 45, and then through the feed mechanism of the moving picture machine. From thence, it is passed into and out of the box 49, through the openings 47 and 48. From the opening 48, the lilm is passed through the opening 46. The two ends of the lilm are now connected, preferably by paste, thus forming an endless film which may be continuously fed by the feed mechanism through the moving picture machine 2, in the direction of the arrow marked on Fig. 1. After the two ends of the film Z have been connected as described, the reel body is locked against rotation by the fork 22 and the looped section of thebelt 31 is removed from the studs 53 and placed on the grooved wheel 32. The machine is now ready to be operated and, by turning the hand crank 6 in the proper direction, therollers 12, through the several driving connections previously noted, are rotated so as to revolve the wound film body around the rollers 12 and thereby successively deliver its inner convolutions through the axial opening 17 and wind the looped section Z onto the outer convolution of said film body. Obviously, by turning the hand crank 6, the film may be continuously fed through the moving picture machine any number of times Without interruption. To remove the film Z from the reel 11, the ends thereof are again separated at the point Where they were pasted together and the outer end of the film is passed through the opening 51 and attached to the holder 26. rlhe flexible belt 31 is next removed from the grooved Wheel 32 and placed over the studs 53, thereby rendering the driving connections from the feed mechanism 5 inoperative and also frictionally holding the rollers 12 against rotation with respect to the reel body. The fork 22 is then moved out of engagement With the lhand piece 21 and the reel 11 is rotated thereby in the proper direction to rewind the lm Z on the holder 26. This reWinding of the film Z vvill leave the pictures on the film in their original order.

`What We claim is:

1. The combination with a reel, compris ing a body having an axial opening and a plurality of loosely journaled rollers, of a ribbon, means for rotating said body to Wind said ribbon on said rollers, and means, independent of said ribbon, for rotating said rollers, at Will, to continuously feed the wound ribbon through the axial opening of said body after the ends thereof have been passed through said axial opening and connected.

2. The combination With a reel comprising a body havin an axial opening and a plurality of loose y journaled rollers, of a ribbon, means for -rotating said body to Wind said ribbon on said rollers, means for locking said body against rotation, and means for continuously feeding the Wound ribbon through the axial opening of said locked body, 'after the ends thereof have been passed through said axial opening and connected.

3. The combination with a reel comprising a bodyhaving an axial opening and a plurality of loosely journaled rollers, of a ribbon, means for rotating said body to wind said ribbon on said rollers, means for locking said body against rotation, and means for rotating said rollers While said body is locked against rotation, to continuously feed the Wound ribbon through said axial opening, after the ends thereof have been passed through said axial opening and con- A nected.

4C. The combination with a reel comprising a body having an axial opening and a plurality of loosely journaled rollers, Of a ribbon, means for rotating said body to Wind said ribbon on said rollers, means for locking said rollers against rotation, With respect to said body, While said ribbon is being Wound thereon, means for rotating said rollers to feed the Wound ribbon through said axial opening after the ends thereof have been passed through said axial opening and connected, and means for locking said body against rotation While said rollers are being rotated.

5. The combination With ay moving pic- `'ture machine having a feed mechanism, of

a body rota-table, at Will, having an axial opening and a plurality of loosely journaled rollers, a film, means for rotating said body to Wind said filmon said rollers, and means independent of said ribbon for rotating the said rollers at Will to continuously feed said film to said machine.

6. rlhe combination With a moving picture machine having a feed mechanism, of a reel comprising a rotatably body having an axial opening and a plurality of loosely journaled rollers, a film, means for Winding said lm on said rollers, means for locking said body against rotation, and means, operated from said feed mechanism, for rotating said rollers With respect to the locked reel body, to continuously feed said film to said machine, after the ends thereof have been passed through said axial opening and said feed mechanism and connected.

7. The combination With a moving picture machine having a feed mechanism, of a reel comprising a body having an axial opening and a plurality of circumferentially spaced rollers loosely journaled on said body, a film, means for rotating said body to Wind said film on said rollers, means for locking said body against rotation, and means, operated from said feed mechanism, for rotating said rollers with respect-to the locked reel body, to continuously feed said film to said machine, after the ends thereof have been passed through said axial opening and said feed mechanism and connected.

8. The combination With a moving picture machine having a feed mechanism, of a reel comprising a body having an axial opening and a plurality of circumferentially spaced rollers loosely journaled on said body, means for locking said rollers against rotation With respect to saidbody, a film, means for rotating said body`to Wind said lm on the locked rollers, means for locking said body against rota.- tion, and means, operated from said feed mechanism, for rotating said rollers With respect to the locked reel body, to continuously feed said film to said machine, after the ends thereof have been passed through said axial opening and said feed mechanism and connected.

9. The combination with a moving picture machine having a feed mechanism, of a reel comprising a body having an axial opening and a plurality of circumferentially spaced rollers loosely journaled on said body, means for locking said rollers against rotation with respect to said body, a film, means for rotating said body to Wind said film on the locked rollers, means for locking said body against rotation, and means, operated from said feed mechanism and including an endless belt arranged to run over said rollers, for rotating the same With respect to the locked reel body, to feed said film to said feed mechanism, after the ends thereof have been passed through said axial opening and said feed mechanism and connected.

10. The combination With a moving picture machine having a feed mechanism, of a reel comprising a body having an axial opening and a plurality of circumferentially spaced rollers loosely journaled on said body, means for locking said rollers against rotation with respect to said body, a lin,

means for rotating said body to Wind said film on the locked rollers, means for locking said body against rotation, and lmeans, operated from said feed mechanism and including an endless elastic belt arranged to run over said rollers, for rotating the same with respect to the locked reel body, to feed said film to said feed mechanism, after the ends thereof have been passed through said axial opening and said feed mechanism and connected, said belt being adapted to be connected and disconnected, at Will, With re spect to said roller rota-ting means.

ln testimony whereof We aiiix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

FREDERICK D. SEARS. AXEL O. SODERGREN. Witnesses:

EMILY MAY KING, F. D. MERCHANT. 

